Device, system and method for storing string-like articles

ABSTRACT

A device for storing elongated articles is provided. The elongated articles may include semi-rigid articles or string-like articles such as a string of lights. The device comprises a flared section and an elongated section, wherein the device is handheld and an elongated article can be fed through the flared section and through the elongated section such that the elongated article can be fed into packaging material as the elongated article exits the elongated section. The flared section has a hollow interior defining a first passageway, and the elongated section has a hollow interior defining a second passageway, wherein the first passageway communicates with the second passageway and the elongated section is longer than the flared section. In addition, the flared section and the elongated section are concentric and tubular. The elongated section has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end have substantially the same width. The flared section has a first end and a second end, wherein the second end has a larger width than the first end, and the second end of the elongated section adjoins the first end of the flared section. In addition, both ends of the device have a ridge that is substantially smooth, and each ridge is annular and concentric with their respective sections of the device. A system for storing elongated articles also is provided. The system comprises the device and packaging material, wherein the packaging material comprises an elongated sheath of non-rigid material. Further, a method for storing elongated articles also is provided.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This non-provisional application claims priority to, and the benefit of, United States provisional U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 60/778,881, filed Mar. 3, 2006, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. The Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a device, system and method for storing elongated articles, which may include semi-rigid articles or string-like articles such as a string of lights. The invention is particularly suited for storing strings of lights that are prone to tangling when stored in a traditional fashion, e.g., Christmas lights or similar articles.

2. The Relevant Technology

As early as the late nineteenth century, electric lights were being used to decorate Christmas trees. By early 1900, people even had the ability to decorate Christmas trees with rudimentary strings of lights, or rather pre-wired sockets, called festoons. These Christmas light festoons, however, were not only expensive, but as one can imagine, were cumbersome to use. The festoons required glass light bulbs to be inserted into individual sockets. Accordingly, it was also heavy and delicate by modern standards.

Approximately 100 years later, one is faced with many more choices to decorate their Christmas trees. And today, not only do people decorate Christmas trees, but people decorate their houses, bushes, lawn ornaments, and do so throughout the year, during holidays and times of the year other than Christmas. As compared to the early 1900 Christmas light festoons, today's basic string of holiday lights are much lighter, more flexible and user-friendly. A key reason for this is that much, if not most, of today's holiday lights are made of light weight plastic. FIG. 1 shows a side view of an exemplary string of today's modern holiday lights 80.

The ability to make these types of articles light weight has increased the number of arrangements of holiday lights multifold. For example, strings of holiday lights include, but are not limited to, styles and names such as the basic strings, mini lights, led mini lights, trunk wrap lights, swag lights, net lights, ribbon style lights, and icicle lights. In addition, light weight plastic has led to strings of holiday lights 80 having lengths of fifty feet. The downside to these light weight and flexible strings of lights, however, is that they are highly susceptible to tangling, particularly when they are “taken down” are stored for the off-season.

People buy holiday lights only imagining what they look like on their Christmas tree or hanging on the outside of their house. They rarely think about how difficult it may be to remove the lights and store them away until the next year or the next holiday. Therein lies the problem. Upon removal of holiday lights from where they are displayed, people don't think ahead to the next time they will need the lights. Typically, a person will merely remove the lights from a tree, house, bush or lawn ornament and then roll the lights up and stuff them into a box. The problem is that the next time the lights are needed, one will take the lights out and it will no longer be a string of lights, but a bundle of lights, tangled in a series of knots. Further, more difficult than rope or simple cord, the lights 84 get intertwined in the string portion 82 and/or other lights 84, thereby making the knots more difficult to untangle.

Thus, what is supposed to be a happy and joyous occasion, setting up holiday lights can turn into a rather aggravating moment trying to disentangle last year's mess. Even if a string of lights 80 was not stored hastily, a tangled mess is usually inevitable. In part, the susceptibility to entangling is due to the flexible nature of the string of lights 80 as well as the small plastic lights 84 interspersed throughout the string portion 82, and depending on the design, the fact that they are situated perpendicular to the string portion 82. Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a device, system and method for storing holiday lights or other string-like articles. Such a device, system and method should make it easy for one to store their holiday lights so that upon their next use, the lights they can be readily removed from their storage location and readily set up without dealing with tangles or knots. Such a device and system also should be handheld so that one can store the string of lights 80 easily and in any location, i.e., both indoors and outdoors and in the types of location where lights may be used, e.g., on or around trees, houses, bushes and lawn ornaments.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A device for storing elongated articles is provided. The elongated articles may include semi-rigid articles or string-like articles such as a string of lights. The device comprises a flared section and an elongated section, wherein the device is handheld and an elongated article can be fed through the flared section and through the elongated section such that the elongated article can be fed into packaging material as the elongated article exits the elongated section. The flared section has a hollow interior defining a first passageway, and the elongated section has a hollow interior defining a second passageway, wherein the first passageway communicates with the second passageway and the elongated section is longer than the flared section.

The flared section and the elongated section of the device are concentric and tubular. The elongated section has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end have substantially the same width. The flared section has a first end and a second end, wherein the second end has a larger width than the first end, and the second end of the elongated section adjoins the first end of the flared section. In addition, the first end of the elongated section and the second end of the flared section of the device each have a ridge that is substantially smooth. Further, each ridge is annular and concentric with their respective sections of the device.

A system for storing at least one elongated article also is provided. The system comprises the device of the present invention and packaging material. The packaging material comprises an elongated sheath of non-rigid material. In addition, certain embodiments of the invention comprise systems where the packaging material is a roll of packaging material that abuts the flared section while surrounding the elongated section. Such system further comprise the ridge on the first end of the elongated section, while allowing movement of the roll onto the elongated section, resists movement of the roll off of the elongated section.

A method for storing an elongated article also is provided. The method of the present invention comprises providing a device of the present invention, providing packaging material of the present invention, placing the packaging material over the elongated section of the device, inserting the elongated article into the flared section of the device, through the flared section, through the elongated section, and out of the elongated section, and as the elongated article is exiting the device, unraveling the packaging material off of the elongated section such that the elongated article is threaded into the packaging material.

The method further comprises when the elongated article is fully enshrouded in the packaging material, if there remains additional packaging material on the device, cutting the packaging material such that the additional packaging material remains on the elongated section of the device. In addition, the method further comprises clipping one or both ends of the elongated article to the packaging material in a non-permanent manner.

A method for storing a plurality of elongated articles also is provided. This method comprises providing sufficient packaging material for storing a plurality of elongated articles and after a first elongated articles is inserted into the device and threaded into packaging material, cutting the packaging material, inserting and threading at least a second elongated article, and cutting the packaging material in accordance with the method of the present invention, then inserting and threading any additional elongated articles into the packaging material, and cutting the packaging material in accordance with the method of the present invention until there are no more elongated articles to store or there exists insufficient packaging material remaining on the device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

To further clarify the above and other advantages and features of the present invention, a more particular description of the invention will be rendered by reference to specific embodiments thereof that are illustrated in the appended drawings. It is appreciated that these drawings depict only typical embodiments of the invention and are therefore not to be considered limiting of its scope. The invention will be described and explained with additional specificity and detail through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side view of an exemplary string of Christmas lights;

FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the device of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of an embodiment of packaging material of the system of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the device of FIG. 2 in cooperation with the packaging material of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side view of the device of FIG. 2 and the packaging material of FIG. 3 in cooperation with the exemplary string of Christmas lights of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is a top view of an exemplary string of Christmas lights enshrouded in the packaging material of FIG. 3;

FIG. 7 is an isometric view of the device of FIG. 2 in cooperation with a roll of packaging material;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of the device of FIG. 2;

FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the device of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 10 is a side view of the device of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The device, system and method for storing elongated articles according to the embodiments of the present invention are described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an embodiment of the device 100 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 2, the device 100 of the present invention is a tubular device 100 having a first elongated section 10 and a second flared section 20, wherein the elongated section 10 is longer than the flared section 20. The elongated section 10 has a first end 12 and a second end 14, wherein the first end 12 has substantially the same diameter as the second end 14. The flared section 20 has a first end 22 and a second end 24, whereas the second end 24 has a larger diameter than the first end 22. Further, the second end 14 of elongated section 10 adjoins the first end 22 of flared section 20, and both the elongated section 10 and the flared section 20 are hollow and are concentric, i.e., have longitudinal axes that are concentric.

As shown in FIG. 2, both ends 12 and 24 of the tubular device 100 have a ridge 18 and 28, respectively, each having a relatively smooth, rounded surface such that the tubular device 100 has no sharp edges. The tubular device 100 of the present invention can be comprised of any material suitable for handling by hand such as a rigid plastic material, e.g., polypropylene. One embodiment of the tubular device 100 has an elongated section 10 having a diameter of approximately two inches and a length of approximately ten inches, and a flared section 20 having a second end 24 that has a diameter of approximately four inches, the flared section 20 having a length of approximately two and one quarter inches. Further, the thickness of the tubular device may be about ⅛ inch for example.

FIG. 3 is a side view of an embodiment of the packaging material 200 of the system of the present invention. As shown, this packaging material 200 is an elongated, hollow sheath of material. Further, in one embodiment, the packaging material 200 has a thickness of about 0.002 inch to about 0.006 inch, for example, such as about 0.003 inch, and a width, when flat, of approximately four inches, for example. The packaging material 200 may comprise a thin, light-weight and flaccid plastic material, such as a polyethylene material, for example. FIG. 4 is a side view of the device of FIG. 2 in cooperation with the packaging material of FIG. 3. In operation, the packaging material 200 is placed on the tubular device 100 before the string of lights 80 can be stored in the packaging material 200. To accomplish this task, the packaging material 200 is placed over the ridge 18 at the first end 12 of the tubular device 100 and pushed down toward the flared section 20 so that the result is as shown in FIG. 4. The packaging material 200 is not rigid so that it can be placed over the tubular device 100 and over a string of lights to conveniently store the lights, and durable so that it can store strings of lights 80 without damaging the lights 84 and be used repeatedly with the tubular device 100 of the present invention. By storing the lights 80 in elongate, hollow, non-rigid material 200, the lights 84 do not tangle with each other. As shown in FIG. 2, the smoothness of the ridge 18 at the first end 12 of the tubular device 100 facilitates the ease of use of the invention such as by facilitating motion of the packaging material 200 on and off of the tubular device 100. The smoothness of both ridges 18 and 28 also makes the tubular device 100 user-friendly, e.g., by making the device 100 easier to handle during use. As shown in FIG. 2, ridge 28 also helps stability of the tubular device 100 when placed on a surface via the second end 24 of the flared section 20. One reason for this benefit is that ridge 28 (as well as with ridge 18) extends from the exterior surface of the flared section 20, thereby making a wider base for the device 100.

FIG. 5 is a side view of the device of FIG. 2 and the packaging material 200 of FIG. 2 in cooperation with the exemplary string of holiday lights 80 of FIG. 1. In operation, the string of lights 80 is extended or “fed” into the flared section 20 of the tubular device 100, through the elongated section 10, and out the first end 12 of the elongated section 10 at ridge 18. At the same time the string of lights 80 is exiting the tubular device 100, the user starts to unravel the packaging material 200 off of the tubular device 200 over the ridge 18 in the same direction as the string of lights 80. Thus, at the point just outside of the ridge 18, where the string of lights 80 meets the packaging material 200, the string of lights 80 is threaded into the packaging material 200 and this continues as the packaging material 200 unravels until the string of lights 80 is fully covered by and conveniently placed in the packaging material 200.

To facilitate unraveling of the packaging material 200 off of the tubular device 100, as shown in FIG. 5, it is advisable that one hand is kept on the device 100 over the packaging material 200, while the other hand is simultaneously feeding the string of lights 80 out of the device 100 and into the packaging material 200. One's hold on the device 100 over the packaging material 200 is light enough to allow unraveling, but strong enough to control the desired speed of unraveling.

When a string of lights 80 is fully enshrouded in packaging material 200, any remaining packaging material 200 may simply be cut by any means known in the art, e.g., with scissors, and clipped. Further, to facilitate the threading operation, one should begin threading a string of lights 80 with the plug 86 end and affix the starting end of the string of lights 80 to the packaging material 200 by any means known in the art, such as a clip 90. Further, the present invention allows for multiple strings of lights 80 to be placed in the tubular device 100 at one time and thus stored in the same section of packaging material 200.

FIG. 6 shows a top view of a string of lights 80 fully enshrouded in packaging material 200. As shown in FIG. 6, the string of lights 80 and packaging material is relatively loosely rolled up as it may be prior to being stored, e.g., in a box. At the next use, one merely unclips the string from the packaging material 200 and unthreads the packaging material 200 from the string of lights 80. The lights are immediately ready for use, and the packaging material 200 also can be re-used in conjunction with the device 100 of the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows an isometric view of the device 100 of FIG. 2 in cooperation with a roll 200A of packaging material 200. As shown in FIG. 7, roll 200A is a wound up, hollow bundle of packaging material 200. As the packaging material 200 of the present invention can be cut to accommodate strings of lights 80 of various lengths, one can purchase packaging material 200 of various lengths or of a length much longer than what is needed for a single string of lights 80, such as in the form of roll 200A. Also as shown in FIG. 7, roll 200A has an exterior portion 210A and an interior portion 220A defining a passageway 222A.

Accordingly, the tubular device 100 is especially suited for housing a roll 200A of packaging material 200 when the device 100 extends through the passageway 222A of the roll 200A when the roll 200A is mounted on the device 100. In particular, ridge 18 on the first end 12 of the tubular device 100, because it extends from the outer surface of the elongated section 10, can be used to hold the roll 200A of packaging material 200 on the tubular device 100 after the roll 200A is slid over the ridge 18. Similarly, with respect to the opposite end of the device 100, as shown in FIG. 7, the flared section 20 of the tubular device 100 can be used to hold the roll 200A of packaging material 200 on the tubular device 100 when the device 100 is placed on a surface via the second end 24 of the flared section 20, or merely held or carried with the flared section 20 down, as shown in FIG. 2.

FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 depict additional views of the device of the present invention. FIG. 8 is a top plan view, whereas FIG. 9 is a bottom plan view of the device of present invention. In these figures, the hollow interiors 50 of both the elongated section 10 and the flared section 20 are shown. FIG. 10 shows device without the packaging material 200 or the string of lights 80.

As described above, and as depicted in the figures, the device 100, system and method of the present invention make it easy for one to store their holiday lights so that upon their next use, the lights they can be readily removed from their storage location and packaging material 200 and readily set up without dealing with tangles or knots. The fact that the device 100 and system is handheld allows one to store a string of lights 80 easily and in any location, i.e., both indoors and outdoors and in the types of location where lights may be used, e.g., on or around trees, houses, bushes and lawn ornaments.

The present invention has been described in detail with respect to certain embodiments, and it will now be apparent from the foregoing to those skilled in the art that changes and modifications may be made without departing from the invention in its broader aspect, and it is the intention, therefore, in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as fall within the true spirit of the invention. 

1. A device for storing an elongated article, the device comprising: a flared section, having a hollow interior defining a first passageway; and an elongated section, having a hollow interior defining a second passageway, wherein the first passageway communicates with the second passageway, the elongated section being longer than the flared section, wherein the device is a handheld device and an elongated article can be fed through the flared section and through the elongated section such that the elongated article can be fed into packaging material as the elongated article exits the elongated section.
 2. The device for storing an elongated article of claim 1, wherein the flared section and the elongated section are concentric.
 3. The device for storing an elongated article of claim 2, wherein both the flared section and the elongated section are tubular.
 4. The device for storing an elongated article of claim 1, wherein: the elongated section has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end have substantially the same width; and the flared section has a first end and a second end, wherein the second end has a larger width than the first end, and the second end of the elongated section adjoins the first end of the flared section.
 5. The device for storing an elongated article of claim 3, wherein: the elongated section has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end have substantially the same diameter; and the flared section has a first end and a second end, wherein the second end has a larger diameter than the first end, and the second end of the elongated section adjoins the first end of the flared section.
 6. The device for storing an elongated article of claim 5, wherein: the first end of the elongated section has a ridge that is substantially smooth.
 7. The device for storing an elongated article of claim 6, wherein: the second end of the flared section has a ridge that is substantially smooth.
 8. The device for storing an elongated article of claim 5, wherein: the first end of the elongated section has a ridge that is substantially smooth, and the second end of the flared section has a ridge that is substantially smooth.
 9. The device for storing an elongated article of claim 8, wherein: the ridges on the first end of the elongated section and on the second end of the flared section are annular.
 10. The device for storing an elongated article of claim 9, wherein: the ridge on the first end of the elongated section is concentric with the first end of the elongated section, and the ridge on the second end of the flared section is concentric with the second end of the flared section.
 11. A system for storing at least one elongated article, the system comprising: packaging material, the packaging material being an elongated sheath of non-rigid material; and a device for storing an elongated article, the device comprising: a flared section, having a hollow interior defining a first passageway; and an elongated section, having a hollow interior defining a second passageway, wherein the first passageway communicates with the second passageway, the elongated section being longer than the flared section, wherein the device is a handheld device and an elongated article can be fed through the flared section and through the elongated section such that the elongated article can be fed into packaging material as the elongated article exits the elongated section.
 12. The system for storing an elongated article of claim 10, wherein the flared section and the elongated section are concentric.
 13. The system for storing an elongated article of claim 11, wherein both the flared section and the elongated section are tubular.
 14. The system for storing an elongated article of claim 11, wherein: the elongated section has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end have substantially the same width; and the flared section has a first end and a second end, wherein the second end has a larger width than the first end, and the second end of the elongated section adjoins the first end of the flared section.
 15. The system for storing an elongated article of claim 13, wherein: the elongated section has a first end and a second end, wherein the first end and the second end have substantially the same diameter; and the flared section has a first end and a second end, wherein the second end has a larger diameter than the first end, and the second end of the elongated section adjoins the first end of the flared section.
 16. The system for storing an elongated article of claim 15, wherein: the first end of the elongated section has a ridge that is substantially smooth.
 17. The system for storing an elongated article of claim 16, wherein: the second end of the flared section has a ridge that substantially smooth.
 18. The system for storing an elongated article of claim 15, wherein: the first end of the elongated section has a ridge that is substantially smooth and the second end of the flared section has a ridge that is substantially smooth.
 19. The system for storing an elongated article of claim 18, wherein: the ridges on the first end of the elongated section and on the second end of the flared section are annular.
 20. The system for storing an elongated article of claim 19, wherein: the ridge on the first end of the elongated section is concentric with the first end of the elongated section, and the ridge on the second end of the flared section is concentric with the second end of the flared section.
 21. The system for storing an elongated article of claim 16, wherein: the packaging material is a roll of packaging material that abuts the flared section while surrounding the elongated section.
 22. The system for storing an elongated article of claim 16, wherein: the ridge, while allowing movement of the roll onto the elongated section, resists movement of the roll off of the elongated section.
 23. A method for storing an elongated article, the method comprising: providing a device comprising: a flared section, having a hollow interior defining a first passageway; and an elongated section, having a hollow interior defining a second passageway, wherein the first passageway communicates with the second passageway, the elongated section being longer than the flared section, wherein the device is a handheld device and an elongated article can be fed through the flared section and through the elongated section such that the elongated article can be fed into packaging material as the elongated article exits the elongated section; providing packaging material, the packaging material being an elongated sheath of non-rigid material; placing the packaging material over the elongated section of the device; inserting the elongated article into the flared section of the device, through the flared section, through the elongated section, and out of the elongated section; as the elongated article is exiting the device, unraveling the packaging material off of the elongated section such that the elongated article is threaded into the packaging material.
 24. The method for storing an elongated article of claim 23, further comprising: when the elongated article is fully enshrouded in the packaging material, if there remains additional packaging material on the device, cutting the packaging material such that the additional packaging material remains on the elongated section of the device.
 25. The method for storing an elongated article of claim 24, further comprising: clipping one or both ends of the elongated article to the packaging material in a non-permanent manner.
 26. The method for storing a plurality of elongated articles comprising the method of claim 24, wherein: sufficient packaging material is provided for storing a plurality of elongated articles; and after a first elongated article is inserted into the device, and threaded into packaging material, and the packaging material is cut, inserting and threading at least a second elongated article, and cutting the packaging material in accordance with the method of claim 24; and inserting and threading any additional elongated articles into the packaging material, and cutting the packaging material in accordance with the method of claim 24 until there are no more elongated articles to store or there exists insufficient packaging material remaining on the device.
 27. A system for storing an elongated article, the system comprising: a device for storing an elongated article, the device comprising: a flared section, having a hollow interior defining a first passageway; and an elongated section, having a hollow interior defining a second passageway, wherein the first passageway communicates with the second passageway, the elongated section being longer than the flared section, wherein the device is a handheld device and an elongated article can be fed through the flared section and through the elongated section such that the elongated article can be fed into packaging material as the elongated article exits the elongated section; and a roll of packaging material mounted on the device, the roll having an interior portion and an exterior portion, wherein the interior portion of the roll is disposed about the device.
 28. The system for storing an elongated article of claim 27, wherein the roll of packaging material is a wound up, hollow bundle of packaging material.
 29. The system for storing an elongated article of claim 28, wherein the hollow bundle of the roll defines a passageway and the device extends through the passageway of the roll when the roll is mounted on the device such that the roll is conveniently stored on the device. 